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Zen Center News

 

Sesshins at Great Vow

Chozen and Hogen Bays and the Board of ZCO have generously offered DRZC members a reduced price on all sesshins in order to make the Dharma accessible to all and, hopefully, to afford more of our Sangha members the opportunity to attend sesshins at Great Vow. A deep bow of gassho to all of ZCO and to Chozen and Hogen for this opportunity.

 

 

Left: Zendo at Great Vow (photo taken during Rohatsu)

 


 

Segaki Festival and Segaki Toro

Our annual Segaki Retreat and Segaki Toro was held October 25-27, with lots of zazen, chanting and work periods, with formal meals. On Sunday morning the 27th, an altar was set up at the back of the Zendo and filled with sugary sweets and other tempting junk food to lure the hungry ghosts to partake of the Dharma they desperately desire but are unable to accept. While Sangha members chanted and each made an offering of incense, names of people who had recently died were read aloud. Later that same evening, the beautiful and solemn Segaki Toro ritual closed the weekend.


 

On-Line Purchases

DRZC now has the capability to accept payment for many goods and services on-line through our web site. You can sign up and pay for retreats, subscribe to Still Point, and purchase Zen Center publications. To purchase publications, point your browser to: http://www.dharma-rain.org/StillPoint/pp/pub.html.


 

Rohatsu Sesshin

Left: The priests and the two head trainees of the double-tag-team-two-sangha Rohatsu retreat

Below: The zendo at Great Vow during Rohatsu: note the masking tape arrows designed to keep sleepy trainees going in the right direction.
Rohatsu was held jointly with Zen Community of Oregon at Great Vow Monastery. A combination of styles made a new form of sesshin for all of us. Almost 60 people attended part or all of the retreat, which saw eerily beautiful weather with a multitude of stars and the occasional yipping of coyotes.

Left: tea in the zendo

Below: training in the kitchen

Much food was eaten, coffee drunk, zazen sat, koans investigated, questions asked (a few answered!), weeds pulled, vows made (and some kept), kinhin walked, and bowls washed - mostly. So many people helped maintain the structure and flow of the retreat it is impossible to name them all. Bodhisattva bows.

Above( left and right): sewing work practice.

Left and below right: Gyokuko gets in some study time

 


 

Operations Corner

Remodeling of the kitchen at Sangha House is now complete. What a difference paint, a window, cupboards, and actual kitchen appliances make! Not to mention all of the hard work put in by sangha members. Many thanks to Hugh and to residents for their persistance and dedication to turning the kitchen area from an ugly duckling into a swan.

Above: Cabinets for storage space and a table for eating were added. New flooring was put in.

Right: A window was put in over the sink to let the sunshine in. Diswasher and oven were installed

 


Newsletter Submissions

The newsletter is put together in the first week of every other month. Submissions are very welcome: short or long articles, which can be on any point of practice, including travel, research or personal experience; descriptions of events we've had; the occasional poem or drawing. We don't print anonymous articles. Please submit typed submissions if at all possible, and by e-mail if you can, to: newsletter@Dharma-rain.org. (This saves the newsletter staff from having to re-type the work.) If you have questions, contact Jiko, 239-9323.

Deadlines and possible topics:

January-February (New Year's eve, precepts study, Hossen): December 1
March-April (Jukai, spring term): February 1
May-June (Denkoe, end of term, summer): April 1
July-August (summer practice): June 1
September-October (fall term, term student program, Segaki): August 1
November-December (Founder's Day, Rohatsu, Christmas): October 1


 

 


Thanks To:

Gasshos to sangha members and friends who graciously gift the Zen Center: Bob and Carlene for a Kitchenaid slicer/shredder and a kitchen mixer upgrade, and for veggies; Sokyo for a pumpkin; anonymous for two teapots; Rose for flowers; Hyakurei Florence for baby bok choi and arugula; David Choten for platters of fruit and baked goods; Marta for bags of jalapeno corn rolls; Deborah for a hand-crafted photo album; anonymous for a giant Kitchenaid; Rob for apples; Rene for potatoes; Bukkai for hazelnuts and candy; Ota Tofu for silken tofu and age; and Deb Seido for carrots.

 

Photo left: Quiet time at Rohatsu 2002

 

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STILL POINT archive edit of 29 April 2003
Dharma Rain Zen Center Newsletter
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